Interlocking gutter circle



'Dc.26, 1944. ACHUN 2,365,973

INTERLOCKING GUTTER CIRCLE Filed om. 31,1941 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Z; I 3 .9fl/ amc's ADHCHLIN 1944- M..RACHL.IN 2,365;973

INTERLOCKING GUTTER' CIRCLE Filed on. 31, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mum/c:Each/1.1M

-ZM- Jug Patented Dec. 26, 1944 INTERLOCKING GUTTEB CIRCLE MauriceRachlin, Flushing, N. Y.

Application October 31, 1941, Serial No. 417,380

4 Claims. (o1. 24.8--48.1)Y'

This invention is directed to a gutter circle.

. The present application is a, continuation-in-part of my copendingapplication entitled Method Of makinga gutter circle and article formedtherei by, Ser. No. 392,003, filed May 5, 1941.

The present application departs from the above identified application inthat reinforcing projections are formed during a flattening operation,the initial material, in each case, being wire.

Brieflystated, it is an object of this invention to form a gutter circlefrom Wire by flattening two ends of a piece of wire and during suchflattening operation, to provide reinforcing projectionson one side of afiat face at one end of said piece While maintaining the other flat facesubstantially smooth and in a single plane. In the above identifiedparent application, the ends of a piece of wire are described as beingflattened and then in a subsequent operation, projections are forced outof the flattened end, leaving small depressions in one flat face of theend of the gutter circle.

It is believed that the present invention represents an improvement overthis process because the circle is weakened where the metal is forcedoutwardly leaving a depression. This process is also objectionablebecause the dies will, in many cases, force the metal completely throughthe flat end of the circle with the result that the circle is left unfitfor use since it has no interlocking projections. The circlecontemplated in the resent invention, is designed to be used with achannel shaped shank and it may be stated that ashank is known in thisart as a piece of metal having two angularly related parts, one of whichextends under the shingles or other roof covering and the other of whichextends in a vertical direction downwardly immediately below the eaves.

A particular object of the present invention is to form a flattened endand at the same time, to form interlocking projections which, instead ofweakening the circle, strengthen the same. As far as I am aware,interlocking projections in the prior art, that have been formed byprior methods, hav a tendency to weaken the gutter circle.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a gutter circleadapted to receive a double beaded gutter, such circle being formed fromwire and in a single, integral piece. In the prior art, gutter circlesadapted to receive double beaded gutters have been formed from channelshaped material to which it has been necessary to rivet vide what isknown as a double headed gutter circle having end portions which are cutout of flat material. I

It is another object of the invention to provide a gutter hanger asdistinguished from a gutter circle which is formed from wire and isadapted to receive gutter that are square or rectangular in generalcross section.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention,then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following descriptionset forth in detailone method and three products exemplifying my invention, such disclosedprocedure and products constituting, however, but a few of variousapplications of the principle of my invention.

In said annexed drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the blank immediately after the same hasbeencut from a length of wire and bent.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the blank after the first pressing orflattening operation.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the blank after the second pressingoperation.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the blank after the same has been bentinto substantially the form of a semi-circle.

Figure 5 is a plan view of Figure 4 taken from above.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the completed gutter circle.

Figure 7 is a horizontal section on line 'l--! of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a completed gutter circle, this being amodification of the circle shown in the previous figures, and

Figure 9 is another modification, this being also a side elevation.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly Figure 1, it willbeseen that m gutter circle, in its first stages, comprises a piece orlength of wire which has been bent into four portions, namely, terminalportion A, central portion B, terminal portion C and reverse bend D.This blank is formed as the wire is drawn from a coil and it may beformed as the wire is cut.

, Stated morespecifically, the blank shown in Figa separate member onone end of such circles in order to embrace the head of a double beadedgut ter. As far as I am aware, I am the first to proure 1 can be formedin one operation as the wire comes from acoil or from any othersource.It is, of course, possible to cut a straight length of wire and thenbend it as shown in Figure 1. It

2' are formed between central portion B and terminal portions A and Cfor a purpose which will be described more in detail hereinafter.

The blank of Figure l is subjected to a pressing or flattening operationin which the terminal portions are preferably squeezed by means ofappropriate dies to form elongated, flat mem- -bers. It will be notedthat the terminal portion A, which is a circle in a cross section, hasbeen converted into the terminal portion E which is substantiallyrectangular in cross. section.. It is, of course, understood that the.lateral edges 3 and 5 are somewhat rounded and that the cross section isnot in the form of a rectangle having. sharp corners. The particularoutline of the edge 4 is of no importance because this edge issubsequently trimmed to provide a hook 'for a utter bead clip. Thecentral portion B retains its circular configuration and the terminalportion C is flattened to provide the member F shown in Figure 2. Thereverse bend D assumes the shape G shown in Figure 2- and during thesame operation of flattening A, C. and D, rein-- forcing andinterlocking projections t and 9 are formed. Stated briefly, the blankshown in. Fi ure 1. is die pressed or otherwise acted upon in a singleoperation to provide. the blank. shown in Figure 2.. The lateral edgesof. the. portion F are somewhat rounded, which is a natural consequencesince the. portion C was circular prior to the flattening operatiom Itisimportantv to note that the projections 8 and 9, sometimes referred toas hill portions in. this art, are. formed without taking any metal.away from. the opposite face of the portion F and. without forming anydepressions in such opposite face. It. is also inrportant to note thatsince the. projections. 8 and 9 extend longitudinally of the. portion F,they will reinforce and strengthen this portion.

In Figure 3 the .blank is shown after the. third operation in which 1'preferably die. press. the portion B so as to impart. a somewhat.T-shape cross section to such portion. The. portion B is identified bythe. reference character H in. Figure 3 and it consists of a fiat uppersurface l and. a downwardly extending rib l'l,, it. being noted that thelateral edges 3 and 6. now merge into the upper fiat surface I'll- InFigure 4 the blank of Figure 3 has been bent into a substantiallysemi-circular formation so as to snugly receive a gutter. It will alsobe noted that the end ofporti'on E has been trimmed. to provide a clireceiving recess.'l2 and. a curved upper surface 131 Similarly, theopposite end of. the circle has been trimmed to provide a recess l4adapted to receive one lateral edge of. a gut-- ter. The upper portionof part G. is trimmed to provide a smoothly rounded. upper. edge. ii.The trimming operation whereby ends. [3 and I5- are formed, may, asjust. described, be a separate step taken either before or aftertheblank is bent. into the shape shown in Figure l. It is shown inconnection with Figure 4. for ease of illustration, but I prefer totrim. the terminal. portions so as to provide ends. I3' and 1'5 at the.same time that holes 25, 26', 21 and 28 are formed. these being shown inFigure 6. it will be seen that both ends may be trimmed and the. boltreceiving holes formed in a single operation.

The reinforcing projections. 8' and 9 are spaced longitudinally of theportion F and transversely so that one flange of a channel shaped shankmay lie between the edge H: of the projection,

8 and the edge 22 of the projection 9. Ordinarily; for a. five inchgutter; the edge 221's. spaced 4 of an inch from the edge 11 and thisspacing will vary for various sizes of gutters inasmuch as larger sizedshanks must be used for larger gutters. It is obvious, from aninspection of Figure 5, that the parallel edges l1 and [8 of projection8 are bevelled as are the end edges l9 and 20. Similarly, the projection9 has bevelled end edges 23 and 24 and bevelled side edges 2| and 22.These edges are bevelled slightlybecause it facilitates the diepressing. operation and insures snug: engagement between the surfaces I1and 22 on both sides of one flange of a channel shaped shank since theflanges of such channel shaped shanks normally flare slightl withrespect to the-base.

The completed circle is shown in Figure 6 wherein the holes 25, 26,2land 28 are indicated as being formed through the projection 8. This isparticularly important because. the formation of the holes through theadded thickness, occasioned by the projection 8, has verylittle tendencyto weaken the. circle. I-Ieretofore, such holeshave been provided ingutter circles but they have a decided tendency in such. priorconstructions to weaken the circle. I

Referring now to Figure 8, it will be seen that I. have: provided agutter circl adapted to receive what is known as a double beaded gutter.one bead of which is adapted to liein the. recess 35. The portions E andH correspond exactly to the portions E and H respectively in, thepreceding figures but the portion K is entirely different. This portionK. is made by providing, more metal in the right-hand end of the blankshown in Figure 1. Otherwise, the process is the same as that describedwith respect to- Figures In Figure 9,, I have shown a gutter supportvadapted to-receive what is known. as a square gutter. In this instance,the support comprises three major parts. L, 0 and P. L and P areflattened similar to E and F of Figure 6, and 0 is exactly the same ascentral portion H of. Figure 6. The bends between L. and O and P and Oare, of course, imparted by appropriate machinery which need not bedescribed indetail as the machinery forms no part of the. present invenIt should be. observed. that the. support tion. shown in- Figure 9. is.formed from wire which comprises flattened terminal portions L and. Phaving. projections in the portionl? spaced in the same manner as. theprojections in the portion F of Figure 6.

The trimming of. the terminal portions. and.

of the finished gutter support- It. will also be.

noted that. the end of the blank or gutter support is flattened andprovided with the. interlocking projections in a single operation. Thisnot only reduces. the final cost of the circle but strengthens thegutter support instead of weakening the same. The annoyance and expenseoccasioned by dies pushing through the interlocking projections, asheretofore formed, is entirely obviated.

Other. forms may be employed embodying the" features of my inventioninstead of the one here explained, change being made in the form orconstruction, provided the' elements stated by any of the followingclaims or the equivalent of such stated elements be employed, whetherproduced by my preferred method or by others embodying steps equivalentto those stated in the following claims. a

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A gutter hanger formed of wire and having flattened end portions, oneof such portions having a shank engaging projection, said projectionextending from one side of one of the end portions, such end portionhaving an oppositely disposed flat unbroken surface and fastenerengaging apertures provided in the projection for securing said hangerto said shank, said apertures extending at right angles to said fiatsurface.

2. A gutter hanger formed of wire and having.

extending from one side of one of the end portions, such end portionhaving an oppositely disposed flat unbroken surfaceand fastener engagingapertures provided in the projection for securing said hanger'to saidshank, said aperturesextending at right angles to said fiat surface,said one of such flattened end portions also having another projectionspaced from said first named projection for engaging an exterior surfaceof said shank.

3. A gutter hanger formed of wire and having flattened end portions, oneof such portions having a shank engaging projection, said projectionextending from one side of one of the end portions, such end portionhaving an oppositely disposed flat unbroken surface and fastenerengaging apertures provided in the projection for securing said hangerto said shank, said apertures extending at right angles to said fiatsurface, the end portion from which said projection extends being ofsufficient width to provide a recess for receiving the inner bead of adouble headed gutter.

4. A gutter hanger formed from wire and having a central portion and twoflattened end portions, said central portion being substantially T-shaped in cross-section, one ofsuch portions having a shankengagingprojection, said projection extending from one side of one ofthe end portions, such end portion having an oppositely disposed fiatunbroken surface and fastener engaging apertures provided in theprojection for securing said hanger to said'shank, said aperturesextending at right angles to said fiat surface, said end portionsextending in substantially straight lines, said central portionextending in a straight line and having a fiat gutter engaging surfaceextending at right angles to said flat unbroken surface.

MAURICE RACHLIN.

